Reading Wild Born (My Way)
by LionRulersRoar
Summary: The title says it all. Rated T for, um, nothing! I don't cuss, very little violence, just a lot of yelling. And insults.
1. Briggan (part 1)

**Hello everyone. All I have to say is… I HAVE WRITTEN PERMISSION TO DO THIS THANKS TO KATHELF WHICH MEANS YOU CAN NOT BLAST ME! Anyhoo… On with the story.**

Laney buzzed around, making sure there was a note on every door or desk. She made sure everyone would be there, whether or not they were a Greencloak. Finally she had gathered everyone up in one room.

"I bet your all wondering why I brought you here today." Laney said, trying not to overfill with excitement. She looked around at everyone. Shane, Conor, Meilin, Rollan, Abeke, Tarik, Lishay, Barlow, Monte, Lenori, Kalani, Finn, Maya, and Olvan. Fifteen people was a lot, if not too much.

"You forgot me!" Devin said from behind her. Laney purposely didn't invite him or Drina. She forgot about Dawson.

"And me!" Drina called.

"And me. And I'm enjoyable!" Dawson stated.

"Darn it, I did forget Dawson." Laney said.

"And us." Drina and Devin said.

"Yeah… Forgot…"

"So, why did you bring us here?" Shane asked.

"To read this!" Laney said, tossing a book onto a table.

"Spirit Animals Wild Born?" Olvan read aloud.

"Yup! Can I read the first chapter? It's my favorite in this book!" Laney blurted.

"You've read this before?" Meilin asked.

"Yeah. How do you think I know about this place?" Laney confirmed what they all feared.

"This is going to be interesting…" Rollan started until Laney interrupted him.

 _Spirit Animals Wild Born by Brandon Mull._

"Dude, there's a giant map on the front." Shane said calmly. Until he realized what the map was mapping out. He spit his water all over Lishay, who got extremely annoyed.

"Get on with it." Lishay said, glaring at Shane.

 _Chapter one, Briggan._

"That's familiar." Conor interrupted.

"This is going to take a while…" Kalani stated.

 _Given a choice, Conor would not have picked to spend the most important birthday of his life helping Devin Trunswick get dressed._

"Wow. That's mean, Conor!" Devin said, looking directly at Conor.

"Sorry." Conor shifted embarrassedly. Meilin rolled her eyes.

"You were a brat, Devin." She said, ignoring the fact they were trying to read.

"Hey!" Devin exclaimed. Laney chose to keep reading.

 _In all honestly, he would not have volunteered to help Devin Trunswick do anything, ever._

"All I did was insult you a couple of times!" Devin said, raising his voice.

"Yeah, a couple." Laney muttered.

"You guys are mean!" Devin said. Conor kept quiet. Kalani looked at Devin like he was crazy. Shane ignored everything and Olvan eyed Devin suspiciously.

 _But Devin was the eldest son of Eric, the Earl of Trunswick, and Conor was the third son of Fenray, Herder of Sheep. Fenray had incurred debts to the earl, and Conor was helping to work them off as a servant to Devin. The arrangement had began over a year ago, and was set to last at least two more._

"Unless you summon one of the Four Fallen and are taken away by the Greencloaks and meet two other kids while the other one is on the other side." Laney blurted.

"She managed to interrupt herself." Rollan said. Meilin looked at him with annoyance.

"Thanks for stating the obvious." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Your gonna roll your eyes out of your head if you keep doing that!" Rollan defended.

"Idiot." Pretty much everyone except Conor and Maya muttered.

 _Conor had to hook each fiddly clasp on the back of Devin's coat correctly or the folds would hang crooked, and he would hear about it for weeks. The fine material was more decorative than practical. If caught in a storm, Conor knew Devin would wish for a simpler, more durable coat. One without clasps. One that might actually keep him warm._

"Is this all about Conor? I want a chapter!" Devin exclaimed, ruining the perfect silence.

"You don't get a chapter." Laney calmly said.

"Why not? That doesn't seem fair!"

"Only Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan get a chapter in this book." Laney said, rolling her eyes. "Now shut up so we can finish this chapter! I'm still on page one!" Devin remained silent.

" _Are you done fussing around back there?" Devin asked in exasperation._

"Finally, I get to talk!" Devin yelled. Everyone ignored him.

" _Sorry for the delay, milord," Conor replied. "There are forty-eight clasps. I'm just linking the fortieth."_

"Conor, you are too nice." Rollan said. "I would have told him off." Meilin looked about ready to shoot him. Shane continued ignoring everything.

"Is Conor still here, because I don't hear him or see him." Abeke asked.

"Yeah I'm still here. Just there's so many people." Conor replied.

"Great, everyone's alive. Time to continue!" Laney rushed.

" _How many days will this take? I'm about to die of old age! Are you just inventing numbers?" Conor resisted a sharp reply. Having grown up counting sheep, he probably knew his number better than Devin. But arguing with a noble caused more trouble than it's worth._

"So… Your only being nice so you don't get in trouble?" Rollan asked. "Guess your not as pure as we all thought."

"Wow." Meilin said.

"Can we finish the chapter, then put our thoughts in?" Finn asked reasonably.

"No, cause I'll forget by then!" Rollan had a weird smile on his face.

"Great, he's gone insane." Laney stated, giving up on reading.

"Go on please. I want to see what happens!" Maya put in.

 _Sometimes Devin seemed to deliberately tempt him. "It's my best guess." The door flew open and_

"I WONDER WHO COMES IN!" Rollan shouted, staring straight at Dawson, who looked petrified.

"Wow." Everyone said except Dawson. Meilin looked determined to roll her eyes after Rollan's comment on it.

 _Dawson, Devin's younger brother, burst into the room._

"HE DIDN'T JUST WALK IN, HE _BURST_ IN!" Rollan yelled again.

"Dude." Shane simply said.

"Finally, he talks!" Laney noted. Finn took the book and started reading.

" _Are you still getting dressed, Devin?" "Don't blame me," Devin protested. "Conor keeps napping." Conor only gave Dawson a brief glance. The sooner he finished the clasps, the sooner he could get himself ready._

"OOH, YOU ACTUALLY DO LIKE LOOKING GOOD!" Rollan, yet again, screamed. Kalani got up and retrieved some duct tape.

"Yell again and I'll tape you." Kalani threatened. Laney took her chance to get the book back. She snatched it and read like a manic.

" _How could Conor fall asleep?" Dawson called, giggling. "Everything you say, brother, is so interesting." Conor resisted a grin._

"WOW, CONOR YOU RESIST A LOT OF THINGS!" Rollan yelled, right in Conor face, who now also looked petrified.

"That's it!" Kalani said, getting up. Rollan squirmed too much for her to put the tape on his mouth. Lishay got up and held him down, along with Meilin and Olvan. Finally Kalani managed to get the tape on.

"When am I in the story?" Drina asked.

"Not for another five books or so." Laney confirmed.

 _Dawson seldom stopped talking. He often got annoying, but he could sometimes be pretty funny. "I'm awake." "Aren't you done yet?" Devin complained. "How many are left?" Conor wanted to say twenty._

"HOW INTERESTING!" Rollan had ripped his tape off.

"NOOO!" Laney yelled overdramatically.

"These people are weird." Shane stated. The door flew open and there stood Nicole, Laney's little sister.

"Why didn't you invite me?" Nicole asked, anger written all over her face.

"WHYYYYYYYY?!" Laney again overdramatically shouted.

"Dude." Shane said, once again. Finn handed the book to Tarik, giving up on life.

" _Five." "Think you'll summon a spirit animal, Devin?" Dawson asked. "I don't see why not," Devin replied. "Grandfather called a mongoose. Father produced a lynx." Today was the Trunswick Nectar Ceremony. In less than an hour, the local children who turned eleven this month would each try to call a spirit animal. Conor knew_

"WHAT DID YOU KNOW, CONOR?!"

"Nothing. I knew nothing!" Conor said, raising his hands in surrender.

 _That some families tended to form bestial bonds more regularly than others. Even so, calling a spirit animal was never guaranteed, no matter what your family name. There were only three kids scheduled to drink the Nectar, and the odds were against any of them succeeding. It was certainly nothing to boast about before it happened._

"Exactly!" Laney interrupted.

"Yes." Lenori added calmly. Devin sunk into his chair.

" _What animal do you think you'll get?" Dawson wondered. "Your guess is as good as mine," Devin said. "What do you except?" "A chipmunk," Dawson predicted._

Laney high-fived Dawson.

 _Devin lunged at his brother, who scampered away, giggling. Dawson was not dressed as formally as his older brother, which allowed him freer movement. Still, Devin soon caught him and tackled him to the floor, pinning him down. "A bear will be more likely," Devin said, grinding his elbow into his brother's chest. "Or a wildcat, like Father._

"Funny, he ends up with Elda the wildcat. Of course that was a fake bond because he's a FAILURE!" Laney plotted.

"Laney, you're such a weirdo." Nicole stated. Laney held back from slapping her.

 _First thing I'll do is have it taste you."_

"That's mean!" Maya exclaimed.

"Exactly." Shane said.

"That's his brother though!"

"Family division. It's more common then you think." Shane stated, glancing at Drina.

"Yeah. And most of the time it's the older sibling's fault." Nicole added for no good reason.

"Hey!" Laney, Devin, and Drina protested. "You're mean!"

"Let's get on with it." Meilin said, waving her hand as if to say 'go on'.

 _Conor tried to wait patiently. It wasn't his place to intervene. "You might get nothing," Dawson said bravely. "Then all I'll be is Earl of Trunswick, and your master."_

For some odd reason, Laney high-fived Devin.

" _Not if Father outlives you." "I'd mind my tongue, second son." "I'm glad I'm not you!" Devin twisted Dawson's nose until he yelped, then stood up, brushing off his trousers._

Dawson rubbed his nose.

" _At least my nose isn't sore." "Conor will drink the Nectar too!" Dawson cried. "Maybe he'll be the one to call a spirit animal." Conor tried to look invisible. Did he hope to summon a spirit animal? Of course! Who wouldn't?_

"Me!" Shane said.

 _You couldn't help hoping. Just because nobody in his family had done it since some obscure great-granduncle decades ago didn't make it impossible._

"You guys really need to stop thinking about family roots on getting a spirit animal. I mean, no one in my family has summoned one, but I have Prissy." Laney said, holding up her hand.

"It's custom in Erdas." Conor said.

" _Right." Devin chuckled. "And I suppose the smith's daughter will summon one as well." "You never know," Dawson said, sitting up and rubbing his nose. "Conor, what would you like to have?" Conor stared at the floor. He had been asked a direct question by a noble, so he had to answer._

"Oh my gosh, what's with the noble thing?!" Laney blurted.

" _I've always gotten along with dogs. I'd like a sheep dog, I guess." "What an imagination!" Devin laughed. "The sheep-herder dreams of calling a sheepdog." "A dog would be fun," Dawson said. "And common," Devin said. "How many dogs do you have, Conor?" "My family? Ten, last I counted." "How long since you've seen your family?" Dawson asked. Conor tried to keep his voice even. "More than half a year." "They'll be there today?" "I except they'll try. It depends on whether they can get away." In case they couldn't make it, he didn't want to show he cared. "How novel for you," Devin sniffed. "How many clasps remain?" "Three." Devin turned around. "Let's not dawndle. We're running late."_

"EEEEEEEE!" Rollan yelled.

"Ugh, he ruined it!" Meilin exclaimed, face-palming.

 **There you go. Seven pages of humor. Don't worry, I'll update fast. Please review!**


	2. Briggan (part 2)

**So… I'm back. I'd like to thank Guest and Darkblaze of Shadeclan for reviewing. I was worried that it would be funny to only me. Anyway…**

"KEEP READING!" Rollan yelled. Meilin rolled her eyes. Laney, Devin, and Drina had moved to the other side of the room, where as Shane, Conor, Abeke, Meilin, Dawson, and Nicole had moved to the other side. Everybody else was stuck in the middle.

"Okay, okay! Gosh!" Laney exclaimed.

 _An impressive_

"OOH IMPRESSIVE SOMETHING!"

 _Assemblage had gathered in the square._

"THERE'S A SQUARE?!"

"Yes, you idiot, there's a square." Meilin said, rolling her eyes for the thousandth time.

 _It was not every day that the son of a great lord quested for his spirit animal._

"REALLY?! I THOUGHT IT HAPPENED ALL THE TIME!"

"Oh my gosh! Can he shut up?!" Kalani asked.

 _Commoners and nobles alike had come for the event-old, young and in between. Musicains played, soldiers strutted,_

"NOT JUST STOMPED, _STRUTTED_!"

"I'm pretty sure he gets louder every time." Finn and Shane said together.

 _And a peddler sold candied nuts. A grandstand had been erected for the Earl and his family. Conor thought it looked as if a holiday had been declared. A holiday for everyone like him._

"Aw. You shouldn't beat yourself up like that!" Abeke told Conor.

"Stop with the Coneke up in here!" Laney yelled, scaring the heck out of everybody.

"This team sucks." Devin stated.

 _The day was cool and clear. The green hills where Conor would rather be roaming loomed far beyond the blue rooftops and chimneys of Trunswick. Conor had attended a few Nectar ceremonies. He had never witnessed the calling of a spirit animal, although he knew it had happened several times in this square during his lifetime. There had been little pageantry at the ceremonies he'd seen. None had been well attended. And none had involved so many animals._

"WHY? DO YOU HATE ANIMALS, CONOR?!" Rollan bellowed, Olvan was scared he'd make them all deaf.

"Someone needs to tape him!" Laney strongly suggested.

"It's your turn. I did it last time." Kalani noted.

"Fine. Drina, Devin?" They got into a huddle and whispered amongst themselves.

"Yup, they've all gone crazy. Now the youngest shall rule!" Nicole said evilly. Shane gave her such a look, then went over to Laney's side.

"At least Shane has some sense." Abeke commented.

"But he left us here with her!" Meilin said, stress written all over her face.

"We can leave if we want to you know…" Conor suggested.

"NO!" Both girls screamed in his face.

"Wait, why are you over here anyway Meilin? You don't have older siblings." Abeke reasoned.

"Because Nicole is cool." Meilin answered, looking all swag. Conor just walked away.

"Wait… I'm the older sibling too!" Tarik realized, racing over to Laney. All three boys were quickly accepted.

"Now that I think about it… I'm a youngest!" Kalani yelled, moving her chair to Nicole's side. Finally, the oldest team finished their huddle and grabbed the tape.

"Rollan," Tarik started, looking straight into his eyes.

"Yes, Tarik…" Rollan finally didn't scream.

"Wow, he went from screaming to whispering." Laney pointed out.

"I am your father." Tarik finished, staring at a completely freaked Rollan. Shane grabbed his head roughly and Devin held his legs while Drina, Laney, and Conor tied him up.

"Whew, finally he can't scream." Laney said, looking at their handiwork. Nicole and Meilin both rolled their eyes at Laney.

"I saw that!" Shane said, pointing straight at them.

"Meanies!" Laney said like a baby. Tarik just ushered the oldest team to their side of the room.

"Wait, who has the book?" Devin asked, eyes searching the room.

"I do." Drina said smugly, holding the book up.

"READ READ READ READ!" Laney and Conor chanted. Shane looked at them like they were crazy.

"Whatever." Drina answered, flipping it open.

 _A common belief held that bringing together a variety of animals increased the chance of summoning a spirit animal. If so, Devin might be in luck._

Devin grimaced. Laney patted him on the back to comfort him.

"Wait, at the beginning, weren't you yelling at him?" Shane asked, his face covered in bewilderment.

"Things change when he's one of the two people you have to rely on." Laney answered.

"But you don't HAVE to rely on him!" Shane fretted.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever little bro." Drina responded for Laney.

 _Not only were many domestic animals present, but Conor saw mews full of birds with exotic plumage, a corral containing deer and moose, several caged wildcats, a penned trio of badgers, and a black bear chained to a post by an iron collar._

"Hope nobody gets too close to that bear." Shane quipped, making literally everyone grimace. Well, except Rollan. He couldn't make any mouth expressions with duct tape on.

 _There was even a beast Conor had only heard about in stories- a huge camel with two furry humps. As Conor walked toward the center of the square, the hordes of onlookers made him self conscious. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands. Should he fold his arms or let them dangle at his sides?_

"Wow, Drina, you're really good at this." Laney complimented.

"At what?" Drina asked.

"Reading aloud. Like, you make it interesting." Laney said.

"I could do better." Shane grumbled along with Devin. Drina rolled her eyes.

 _As he scanned the intimidating crowd, he tried to remember that most eyes were on Devin. Suddenly Conor noticed his mother waving. His elder brothers_

"ELDER brothers, Conor! Come back to the side you were born to be on. Literally!" Nicole tried to win him back.

"He's on my side now, brat!" Laney yelled back, angering her sister.

"Your not allowed to call me brat!" Nicole screamed, her face almost red.

"This is my world, sis. I can call you anything I want to!"

"NO. YOU. CAN'T!" Nicole charged forward, straight at Laney. Laney was hit with so much impact, she passed out. Nicole had hurt herself in the process too, considering she tripped over Laney and hit her nose on the floor.

"Nicole! Are you okay?!" Meilin asked frantically. Dawson had his hands over his mouth.

"Her nose is bleeding!" Abeke exclaimed. Kalani pulled out some tissue and handed it to Nicole.

"Is Laney alright?" Conor asked timidly.

"She's alive." Tarik said.

"That's a really encouraging answer!" Shane said sarcastically.

"I'm going to need help getting her to the nurse. Can two of you help me?" Tarik asked reasonably.

"I'll help!" Devin and Conor said at the same time.

"She's my friend, but she's being too crazy right now." Shane said casually. Then the three carried Laney off. Kalani and Meilin carried Nicole off, because she was younger she was easier to carry then Laney.

 **Two hours later…**

Finally, the sisters came back. Laney in a wheelchair and Nicole with half her face wrapped up.

"Serves you right." Laney muttered.

"I heard that!" Nicole yelled, a little muffled.

"Can I read now?" Drina asked.

"Go ahead." Devin waved his hand.

 _Stood beside her, and his father. They had even brought Soldier, Conor's favorite sheepdog. They had all made it! The sight of them thawed some of his fear and awoke a longing for home- meadows to wander, creeks to swim in, groves to explore. His work had been honest and outdoors- chopping wood, shearing sheep, feeding dogs. Their home had been small but cozy, and nothing like the drafty immensity of the earl's castle. Conor gave his mother a little wave. The future Earl of Trunswick led the way to a bench near the center of the square. Abby, the smith's daughter, awaited them, sitting still and looking overwhelmed. She was clearly dressed in her best clothes, which were laughably inferior to even the most casual dress owned by Devin's mother or sister. Conor knew he must also look very plain beside Devin. A pair of Greencloaks stood before the bench. Conor recognized the woman, Isilla, her graying hair gathered up in a glittering net over her pale face._

"What's the deal with everyone being pale?" Laney asked.

"LANEY!" Everyone yelled. Except Rollan, Conor, and Maya.

"What? All I said was…"

"You ruined it!" Shane and Drina exclaimed.

 _Her goldfinch, Frida, was perched on her shoulder. Isilla normally officiated at the Nectar ceremonies. She had given the Nectar to both of his brother. The other Greencloak was a stranger, tall and lean, with wide shoulders and features as weathered as his cloak. His skin was darker_

"Thank you!" Laney yelled, freaking everyone out.

 _Than the people around him, as if he came from northeastern Nilo or southwestern Zhong- an unusual sight in the middle of Eura. His animal was not evident, but Conor noticed a hint of a tattoo winding away into his sleeve. The sight gave him a thrill. It meant the stranger's spirit animal was currently hibernating on his arm. Abby rose and curtsied as Devin approached the bench. He sat down and motioned for Conor to follow his lead. Conor and Abby sat. Isilla raised her hands to still the crowd. The stranger backed away, leaving her the center of attention. Conor wondered why the man had come. As with the rest of the pageantry, Conor decided it must be another nod to Devin's high status. Isilla began in a penetrating voice, "Hear ye, hear ye, good people of Trunswick! Before the eyes of man and beast, we are gathered here today to participate in the most sacred rite in all of Erdas. When human and animal unite, their greatness is multiplied. We have come to witness whether the Nectar will reveal such greatness in any of these three candidates- Lord Devin Trunswick;_

"Talk about a mouthful." Laney said bitterly.

"How does she have so many friends in real life?" Nicole asked herself.

"Fake." Laney stated confusingly.

"What?"

"Fake life. This world is real life." Laney explained.

"Whatever." Nicole rolled her eyes.

 _Abby, daughter of Grall; and Conor, son of Fenray." The cheering after the mention of Devin all but drowned out the other two names. Conor tried to remain impassive. If he sat still and kept calm, soon it would be over. Devin would drink the Nectar first, in place of honor. Common belief held that the first to drink the Nectar in a ceremony was the most likely to call a spirit animal._

"Gosh, y'all come up with lots of common beliefs!" Laney exclaimed.

 _Isilla bent over to raise a plugged flask, the leather tooled with intricate designs. After raising the flask above her head to display it to the assemblage, she unstopped it. "Devin Trunswick, come forward."_

Devin looked so disappointed it was almost sad. Almost.

 _The crowd whistled and clapped as Devin approached Isilla, then quieted down as she put a finger to her lips. Devin knelt before her, a sight Conor had seldom seen. Euran nobles only knelt to greater Euran nobles. The Greencloaks knelt to none._

"That's seriously fishy!" Laney interrupted.

"I know right!" Rollan said.

"How did you get the tape off?" Conor asked.

"I figured it out." Rollan replied, smirking like an idiot.

"Forget life." Shane gave up.

"Somebody else wanna read?" Drina offered.

"No!" Everyone answered.

"Whoever else thinks she should read the whole book, say aye." Laney reasoned.

"AYE!" They all yelled.

"I'm flattered." Drina smirked, while Shane rolled his eyes.

" _Receive the Nectar of Ninani." Conor could not help but feel excited as the flask tipped toward Devin's lips. This might be the first time he witnessed a spirit animal summoned from the unknown! With all these animals present, how could the Nectar fail? Conor wondered what the beast would look like._

"How about air?" Shane, Finn, Rollan, and Meilin all said together. Then Meilin and Rollan blushed.

"Y'all are mean!" Laney defended Mr. Useless.

 _Devin swallowed. Isilla stepped back. A deep hush fell over the square._

"Then somebody shot arrows and killed everyone except Conor and the person that was shooting arrows was Abeke and she was 'Conor, I love… Shane' then she killed him too and Shane came out of nowhere and then she killed him too for no reason. No, wait, she killed him cause it had to be a tragic romance!" Laney said, breathing heavily.

"Whatever you say…" Dawson said, the look on his face was priceless. Much like Conor's horrified one. Shane stared at her with perplexity while Abeke's jaw dropped.

"I wish that had happened." Olvan said. "Would have saved us trouble with Devin and Shane."

"Yeah, and killed one of the Fallen and Tarik. And he's the only one that matters. I mean… One of the only ones that matter! Yeahhh…" Lishay said.

"I'm gonna just continue…" Drina said.

 _Eyes closed, Devin tilted his head skyward. An empty moment passed. Somebody coughed. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Perplexed, Devin looked around. Conor had heard that a spirit animal either came right after the Nectar was tasted, or never. Devin arose and turned in a full circle, eyes roving. There was no sign of anything appearing nearby. The crowd began to murmur._

"All there was is failure." Shane said, dooming himself to a glare from Laney.

"Some people say there is Shevin in this book, but Shane proven them wrong." Laney rambled. "There's also this thing called Shonor."

"Shonor? Who is that?" Shane asked, eyes wide with horror.

"You and Conor."

"AH!" Conor and Shane yelled.

 _Isilla hesitated, considering the grandstand. Conor followed her gaze. The earl sat grimly on his throne, his lynx nearby. Although he had summoned a spirit animal, he had chosen not to wear the green cloak. Isilla glanced back at the foreign Greencloak, who gave a faint nod. "Thank you, Devin," she intoned. "Abby, daughter of Grall, come forward." Devin looked queasy._

"Your not taking this easy… Get it? Cause it rhymes with queasy?" Laney giggled.

"This is the only person I have on my side?" Devin asked, extremely frustrated.

"Yup!" Laney said cheerfully.

 _His eyes were blank, but his posture betrayed his humiliation. He glanced furtively toward his father, then looked down. When he lifted eyes again, his gaze had hardened, the shame turning to fury. Conor looked away. It would be best to avoid Devin's attention for a while. Abby drank and, as Conor expected, nothing happened._

"GOSH, I GUESS YOUR ALL MEANIES!" Laney bellowed, becoming somewhat the new Rollan.

"I know right?" Devin agreed.

"Ugh, your all idiots. Well, except Dawson." Drina complained. Dawson blushed deeply.

 _She returned to the bench. "Conor, son of Fenray, come forward." Hearing his name called gave Conor a nervous thrill. If Devin had failed to call an animal, Conor doubted he had any chance. Still, anything could happen. Never had so many eyes been trained just on him. Rising to his feet, Conor tried to ignore the crowd by focusing on Isilla. The tactic didn't really work. If nothing else, it would be interesting to discover what the Nectar tasted like. His oldest brother had compared it to sour goat's milk, but Wallace liked to tease. His other brother, Garrin, had likened it to apple cider. Conor licked his lips. Whatever the taste, sampling the Nectar would officially mark the end of his childhood. Conor knelt before Isilla. She looked down at him with a strange smile, curiosity lurking behind her eyes._

"You obviously read people well, Conor." Laney stated.

"Thank you." Conor said quietly, shifting a little. Devin simply rolled his eyes.

"Go on. We do not need to analyze everything sheep-boy does." Devin spat grumpily. Drina obeyed.

 _Had she stared at the others this way? "Receive the Nectar of Ninani." Conor put his lips to the offered flask. The Nectar was tick, like syrup, and richly sweet, like fruit in honey. The consistency became more liquid once it was in his mouth. He swallowed. It tasted amazing! Better than anything he had ever tried. Isilla withdrew the flask before he could steal another sip. One swallow was all he would ever sample. Conor stood in order to return to the bench_

"It was so focused on the Nectar, I forgot we were trying to get a spirit animal." Laney, once again, interrupted.

"Laney, stop talking. You've said the most stuff so far." Meilin reasoned.

"And what's wrong with that?" Laney asked, smiling crazily.

"Everything!" They all said.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop talking. Gosh!"

"For how long?" Meilin narrowed her already narrow eyes.

"The rest of this and the next chapter. Good enough?" Laney rolled her eyes.

"Yes. It is good enough."

 _And a burning, tingling sensation spread through his chest. Animals began to cry out. The birds shrilled. The wildcats yowled. The bear roared. The moose trumpeted. The camel snorted and stomped. The ground began to tremble. The sky darkened, as if a swift cloud had overtaken the sun. A brilliant flash pierced the gloom like lightning, but much nearer than any lightning Conor experienced, nearer even than the time he saw a tree struck at the crest of a hill he was climbing._

"Why were you climbing a hill in a rain storm?" Rollan asked, his eyebrows knitted together.

"I don't remember." Conor replied simply.

 _Onlookers gasped and murmured. Dazzled by the flash, Conor blinked repeatedly to restore his vision. Hot tingles spread from his chest along his limbs. Despite the oddness of the moment, he felt irrationally joyful. And then he saw the wolf. Much like any sheepherder in the region, Conor had experience with wolves. Wolf packs had stolen many sheep under his care. Wolves had killed three of his favorite dogs over the years. Livestock lost to wolves was a big part of the reason his father had become indebted to the earl. And of course there was that night two years ago, when Conor and his brothers had stood against a brazen pack that had tried to steal sheep out of their pen in the high pasture. Now the largest wolf he had ever seen stood before him, head held high. It was a remarkable creature- long limbed, well fed, with the most luxurious coat of gray-white fur Conor could have imagined. He took in large paws, keen claws, savage teeth, and striking cobalt-blue eyes._ _ **Blue eyes?**_ _In the history of Erdas, only one wolf had such deep blue eyes. Conor glanced at the Euran flag hanging from the earl's grandstand. Briggan the Wolf, patron beast of Eura, stood depicted upon a rich blue banner, eyes shrewd and piercing. The wolf paddled forward calmly, stopping directly before Conor. It sat, like a trained dog yielding to its master. Its head came well above Conor's waist. Muscles tense, Conor resisted the impulse to leap away. Under other circumstances, he would have run from this animal, or yelled at it._

"Dude, yelling at it is not going to help you not get eaten." Rollan said brute fully honest.

"Now you just sound like Laney." Meilin stated. "And I saw you struggle, Laney, I saw you." She added, obviously trying to tempt Laney. Laney gave her a thumbs up, looking like she hadn't even been phased.

 _He would have thrown rocks or grabbed a stout staff to defend himself. But this was no chance encounter out in the wild. His whole body was tingling, almost vibrating, and hundreds of people were watching. This wolf had appeared out of nowhere! The wolf stared up at him with confidence. Though large and fierce, the animal seemed very much in control of itself. Conor was awed that a predator such as this would show him so much respect. Those blue eyes hinted at a greater understanding than any animal should possess. The wolf was waiting for something. Conor held out a trembling hand and the wolf's warm pink tongue caressed his palm. The touch was electric, and the tingling in Conor's chest immediately ceased. For an instant, Conor felt courage, and clarity, and an alertness like he had never known. He smelled the wolf with enhanced senses, and somehow knew it was male, and that it considered him an equal._

"Lucky." Rollan grumbled, considering Essix didn't pay a lot of attention to him.

"Squak!" Essix screeched.

 _Then the strange moment of expanded perception passed. In spite of the abundant evidence, it was the look on Devin Trunswick's face that brought home to Conor what had transpired. Never had Conor been the focus of such naked rage and envy. He had summoned a spirit animal! And not just any spirit animal. A wolf. Nobody summoned wolves! Briggan the Wolf had been one of the Great Beasts, and spirit animals were never the same species as the Great Beasts. Everyone knew that. It simply didn't happen. Yet it had. Undeniably, inexplicably, it had. A full-grown wolf was nuzzling Conor's palm. A wolf with deep blue eyes. The bewildered crowd kept silent. The earl leaned forward attentively. Devin seethed, and Dawson's mouth was spread in an astonished grin. The stranger in the green cloak approached and took Conor's hand. "I am Tarik," the man said in a low voice. "I came a long way to find you. Stay near me, and I will let no harm befall you. I won't press you to take our vows until you're ready, but you need to hear me out. Much depends on you." Conor nodded numbly. It was all too much to digest. The foreign Greencloak raised Conor's hand high and spoke in a powerful voice. "Good people of Trunswick! News of this day will echo across all of Erdas! In our hour of need, Briggan has returned!"_

"That went so much faster without Laney talking." Meilin said. "And she still has another chapter to endure."

 **Okay, there you go. That took forever to finish. Eleven pages. Ten days of writing. Yeah, crazy right? Well, see y'all next time.**


End file.
